Battle of Ican

Battle of Ican
Part of the Russian conquest of Central Asia

Monument in honor of the battle
Date16–18 December [O.S. 4-6 December] 1864
Location
Ikan [ru], Kokand Khanate
(Modern day Kazakhstan)
Result Russian victory[a]
Territorial
changes		 Alimqul evacuate Turkistan Region leaving only Tashkent[2]
Belligerents
 Khanate of Kokand  Russia
Commanders and leaders
Khanate of Kokand Alimqul (WIA) Russian Empire Vasili Serov [ru]
Strength
10,000[3] 114
Casualties and losses
2,000 killed and wounded[4] 102 killed and wounded[2]

The Battle of Ican (Russian: Иканское сражение, romanized: Ikanskoye srazhenie), occurred on 16 December 1864 near Ikan [ru] as a part of the Russian conquest of Central Asia. In the battle, a Kokand army under the command of Alimqul was defeated by a cossack detachment.[5]

Background

Colonel Vasily Serov [ru]

After taking Shymkent, the Kokand khan Alimqul tried to return to the city secretly, but the Russians noticed small groups of the Kokand vanguard and sent a hundred cossacks under the command of Vasily Serov [ru] without knowing about real size of the Kokand army.[6]

Battle

«Give up! Go to hell!» by Vasily Vereshchagin

As a result, the Kokand army surrounded the cossacks. At this time, a detachment of 150 people and 20 guns[2] try breaking through to Serov, but they received an order to retreat due to the large enemy army.[7] The Cossacks shot back at the Kokand forces for two days, surrounded by the bodies of dead comrades and horses, and finally Alimqul sent them a letter:

Where are you going to leave me now? The detachment sent from Azret has been defeated and driven back; not one of your thousand (!) will remain — surrender and accept our faith: I will not offend anyone! [8]

Gunfire was heard in response. Serov understood that time was not on his side and he decided to break out of the encirclement. He gathered the remaining Cossacks and, shouting "hurrah" in the form of a Infantry square, attacked the enemies surrounding him and broke through their formation. The Cossacks retreated for several more miles, until finally a new expedition saved the detachment and took them to Shymkent on carts.[9][10]

Aftermath

Participants of the Ican battle 20 years later

The battle ended with the retreat of Alimqul.[11] Russian detachment losing 2 officers, 5 constables, 87 cossacks, 4 artillerymen, 2 paramedics, and 2 Kazakh escorts.[9]

Notes

  1. ^ Cossacks were able to break through the encirclement and stop Alimqul raid deep into Turkestan[1]

Reference

  1. ^ Terentyev 2022, p. 326.
  2. ^ a b c Егоршина 2023, p. 540.
  3. ^ Terentyev 2022, p. 320.
  4. ^ Alexeev 1893.
  5. ^ Хронологический указатель военных действий русской армии и флота. Том IV. 1855-1894 гг. runivers.ru. Дата обращения: 1 мая 2024. P.56
  6. ^ Abaza 2008, p. 75.
  7. ^ Terentyev 2022, p. 322.
  8. ^ Abaza 2008, p. 77.
  9. ^ a b Terentyev 2022, p. 325.
  10. ^ Abaza 2008, pp. 77–78.
  11. ^ Abaza 2008, p. 78.

Bibliography

  • Егоршина, Петрова (2023). История русской армии [The history of the Russian Army] (in Russian). Moscow: Edition of the Russian Imperial Library. ISBN 978-5-699-42397-2.
  • Terentyev, Mihail (2022). История завоевания Средней Азии [The history of the conquest of Central Asia] (in Russian). Volume 1. ISBN 978-5-4481-1327-7.
  • Abaza, K. (2008). Завоевание Туркестана [The Conquest of Turkestan] (in Russian). Кучуково поле. ISBN 978-5-901679-99-9.
  • Alexeev, L. (1893). Дело под Иканом (Рассказ очевидца) [The case under Ican] (in Russian). Istorichesky Vestnik.